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Spiral-sliced hams are already cooked and sliced for convenience. The spiral cut gives you slices of equal thickness. Spiral-sliced hams make an ideal menu choice for moms on busy holidays because they are tasty and easy to prepare. The ham is already cooked, so be careful not to dry it out during the heating process.

Preparation

To keep a cooked spiral-sliced ham from drying out in the oven, place it cut-side down in a roasting pan. Wrap the top of the ham with aluminum foil to help keep the moisture in. Creating an aluminum foil tent over the top of the ham works well.

Baking

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. To heat the ham all the way through, bake it for 10 to 12 minutes per pound. Heat the ham to 140 degrees F; this will reduce the risk of food-borne illness. Insert an instant-read food thermometer into the thickest portion of the ham to check the temperature.

Glazing

Glazing the spiral-sliced ham adds extra flavor and helps keep it moist and juicy. To glaze the ham, remove it from the oven 15 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Use a pastry brush to apply the glaze, such as one with brown sugar, honey and butter, evenly over the top of the ham, allowing the glaze to drip between the slices. Keep the ham uncovered during the remainder of the baking process so the glaze bakes to a golden brown.

Serving

Spiral-sliced ham is a versatile main dish that complements a variety of side dishes. Bring out the sweetness in the glaze by serving the ham with a marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole. Other ham accompaniments include mashed or baked potatoes, fresh green beans and roasted Brussels sprouts. Use any leftover ham to make split pea soup or scalloped potatoes, or add it to a salad with creamy dressing.

Elizabeth Arnold has written for a wide variety of publications and websites. Her experience includes writing travel features for "Recommend" magazine and packaging marketing copy for both Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. consumer products. Recently, Arnold was a staff writer for "Special Events" magazine. Arnold studied English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.